Too Close For Comfort
by MarcusJuniusBrutus
Summary: An unscheduled stop on the way to a medical conference sets Julian Bashir facetoface with one of his worst fears. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, ships, etc. from Star Trek. I do not, in fact, even own the basic plotline from Star Trek.

Chapter One

As Dr. Bashir tried to shake himself awake, he began to pack his light traveling bag. The fact was: he hadn't gotten any sleep for almost a week, and it was beginning to wear on him. Deep Space 9 seemed to run on streaks of luck and high-caffeine drinks, but with all of the sudden injuries that the crew members were receiving in rapid succession, it appeared that he wouldn't get either for quite some time.

His luck changed for the better as the time drew closer for another of those medical conferences that he always seemed to be dragged off to. He usually enjoyed going and learning about recent technical or biological developments, despite the fact that it meant leaving the station and his patients to go listen to a group of pompous scientists argue about their different viewpoints. Now, the prospect was looking quite opportune, if he could only survive the night.

To accomplish this task, he decided to go down to Quark's for some tea before he finished packing.

"Darts, Doctor?" a voice intoned behind him.

"Right now, Miles? At the moment, I'm afraid, you would be able to beat me easily."

The Chief of Operations feigned surprise. "Not up for a challenge? You're not just a sore loser, are you?"

Julian smiled reluctantly. "Not a chance. Let's break out those darts."

"Now you're talking."

Whether it was the lights and sounds from the promenade, the fact that he was about to fall asleep on his feet, or both, he did indeed lose the game to Miles. In fact, he only hit one bull's-eye the whole time, which was extremely rare when he was actually trying.

"You're sure you didn't let me win?" O'Brien challenged suspiciously.

"Quite sure."

"Great." His round face was split by a wide grin. "How about another game?"

"Some other time, maybe. Now, I think I'll just head back to my quarters and…"

"Doctor Bashir!" a young officer called out. "Come quick!"

"It should be 'quickly' not 'quick'," Julian corrected crisply as he knelt near the unconscious form of Elim Garak. The initial scan he took did not look good- the pulse was pounding in his temples and his blood pressure was way up. "You, help me get him to the Infirmary."

The rooms were barely meters apart, and Bashir and his volunteer had dragged Garak to one of the beds within a minute. Fortunately, the equipment was all on hand to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently. Fifteen minutes later, Garak was blinking his way back to consciousness. "Ah, Doctor, what would I be doing here right now?"

"You're recovering from a claustrophobic attack."

Garak moaned. "You're not serious? I admit, I was a feeling a bit crowded, but I was hoping for a better story than that. People will begin to wonder about me if I spontaneously…" He choked out the word. "Faint."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to think up some clever story."

"Quite right. Now should I, as the brave survivor of a poisoned drink, get some more rest here in the Infirmary, or am I clear to go?"

"You ought to stay here for another five minutes or so, and for a while, stay away from… busy bars, as well as alcohol."

"Fine, fine. Will you be staying here to keep me entertained?" He gave his most charming smile.

"Actually, I was about to finish packing. I'm leaving for a medical conference on Meezan IV in about an hour." He hadn't realized that he had been playing darts so long. "And I want to get on the shuttle early."

"What do you have to pack?" the Cardassian asked curiously.

"Well, not much. But I like to double check to make sure I didn't forget anything."

"And triple check, etc."

"Sometimes," his weekly lunch-partner admitted.

"Don't want to forget Kukalaka, do we?" The Cardassian could never miss an opportunity to point out that Dr. Bashir was probably the only Starfleet officer to bring a teddy bear to his assigned post, memento or not. Of course, the idea amused him greatly.

Julian scowled. "Get out of my Infirmary; you're perfectly fine."

Garak grunted as he pushed himself off the bed, and nearly collapsed on the ground. "Liar."

"Well, I've been hanging around you too long."

"Oh, Julian, when will you get over this mistrust?"

"When you get over a spy," he retorted.

Garak grinned. "Of course. Don't miss your shuttle." As the doors were sliding shut behind him, he added, "Or your bear."

"Cardassians." Julian shook his head and trudged back to his quarters, and by the time he was done double-checking his triple-checking it was about time to go.

Kira was nearby, inspecting some incoming cargo, and they waved to each other as he boarded the ship. If possible, she seemed to need sleep more than him. "Good luck."

Bashir smiled and nodded in return before hurrying to his seat so he could crash there. He was asleep in moments, so he didn't notice when the craft launched from the space station. In fact, the only thing that woke him was a large jolt to the ship.

"What was that?" several passengers whispered to each other nervously. A couple glanced at Dr. Bashir- the only Starfleet officer on the civilian transport. Julian could only shake his head helplessly at them and walk up towards the cockpit.

A male voice sounded over the intercom at that point. "We apologize for the disturbance. Our ship was merely hit by a small wave of energy that does not appear to be harmful, so you may all rest assured that this will not hinder our scheduled arrival on Meezan IV."

Julian pursed his lips in thought. The man was definitely edgy about something, so he continued to the cockpit. "What's happening up here?" he asked one of the few crewmen.

Taking in his trim blue and grey uniform, the young crewman responded, "There's a ship out there, sir. It appeared from nowhere with this wave of energy."

The somewhat obese captain whirled around to reprimand the boy for giving information like that to passengers, but he, too, stopped short. "Well, what do you make of it, Lieutenant? I've never seen a ship that looks like that."

"It's definitely an old-style Earth ship." Bashir did consider himself somewhat of a history buff, but he mostly enjoyed reading about anything before the 20th century. After that, things just got depressing. "It's similar to a class DY-500. Maybe it's something a bit older."

"Whatever you say. D'you know if it's friendly?"

"If it's that old, it could be being used by anyone. I think we'll just have to play it by ear. Do your bioscanners detect life aboard?"

A crewman punched the required buttons. "Yes, there are people all right. They could be human."

"I suppose we'll just have to hope they decide to ignore us," the captain mused.

"Sir, the vessel is contacting us," a girl broke in. "It's in old Morse Code."

"What does it say?"

She glanced at the captain nervously. "'Surrender now or be destroyed'."


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: The captain, crew, and passengers (minus Bashir) are mine, the rest are not.

Chapter Two

"Nothing that old could have a very good weapons system, even if they tried to interface new technology with it," Julian assured the crew. The tiny cockpit was crowded with the six crewmembers and Dr. Bashir, and the doctor had a momentary thought concerning thrusting a certain Cardassian in here if he ever got out of line.

"Well, we have virtually no shields. We never need them, you know; we try to just pick the safest routes." He cleared his throat uneasily. "I'm afraid we'll have to surrender to them."

"Couldn't you at least ask them who they are first?" Julian protested. "It would be best to know who we're dealing with, in any case."

The captain shrugged, but nodded to the girl at communications, who worked frantically, trying to remember Morse Code.

"And while you're at it…" the doctor added.

The captain sighed. "Yes?" he asked tersely, wiping a sweat-line from his brow.

"I wonder if your scanners could find a name on the side of the ship."

He motioned to another of his men, who got to work trying to focus the old equipment on the charred and dented ship.

"We got a response, sirs."

"Who are they?"

"I'm sorry, lieutenant. All they would say was 'Your conquerors'."

"All right. Any luck with those scanners, crewman?"

"Not yet."

"They're powering weapons," an Andorian warned.

"Surrender to them!" the captain cried. "Immediately!"

"Sending the message, sir," was the prompt reply. "Message sent, and received. They are now instructing us to allow ourselves to be boarded."

Julian narrowed his dark eyes in frustration. Giving up without a fight seemed wrong, but there were innocent lives on board who should be considered, and it wasn't his ship or his decision, in any case. It was still with great discomfort that he listened to the captain explain the situation, and heard the passengers of the ship talking frantically amongst themselves. Some were crying.

One small boy was crying from pain, having banged his head against the wall in the energy wave. Julian saw to him. "Let me see that," he instructed the child's parents. "I'm a doctor."

He had his neatly-packed bag passed up to him, and busied himself with this one problem. Fortunately, it turned out to be a relatively minor wound. That way, at least, he could be doing something useful as the metallic _thunk_ of the two ships merging resounded through the tiny ship.

"What's your name?" Julian asked the boy.

"M…Michael," he sniffed.

"Okay, you're going to be fine, Michael. It was just a bump."

As Michael nodded, somewhat reassured, the doors to the shuttle opened. Bashir turned around slowly enough that he hoped he wouldn't attract attention until he got a good look at the intruders.

They were definitely humans, all strong-looking and intense. Their clothing was very patchwork and torn, and their skin was tanned and roughened from sun-exposure. They seemed to come from some desert plant, but Bashir couldn't really tell which one offhand.

The group marched swiftly and almost noiselessly onto the transport ship, scanning for potential threats. Not a single one of the group seemed to have a phaser, however, including the doctor. Bashir mentally added that to his travel check list for the next time he went to a supposedly safe medical conference. The intruders seemed satisfied, and soon they parted for a man who Julian assumed was the leader.

He may not have recognized the others, but this man, supposedly long dead, was one that Julian Bashir would know anywhere, and for good reason. The face had haunted his dreams since he was a child, and the thought of this man plagued his existence. This man was Khan Noonian Singh.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Still, I am only responsible for the "existence" of the ship's civilian occupants.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the lovely reviews. I assure you that I'm writing as quickly as I can whenever I have the time. Unfortunately, this means that there are little mistakes that I don't catch before I load the document, and I apologize for those.

Chapter Three

The powerful genetically engineered human being known as Khan could not be mistaken anywhere. Dr. Bashir regarded him with mingled fear and curiosity. He should have been long since dead, along with his crew. Was he some kind of clone? Or maybe he was merely a Changeling impersonating Khan.

Whoever he was, he spoke with the same assurance that Bashir would have imagined. "Where is the captain of this vessel?" he demanded with his rich, accented voice.

"I…I am," the captain stammered. "My name is Captain Benton."

"You?" Khan laughed derisively. "There are others here more intelligent than you, more physically fit than you. Why should you be Captain?"

"It's my ship." The captain looked offended, but he was not about to challenge this man with the weapon that he was holding, or the men at his command.

"Not anymore. You are all now my prisoners, and this ship is mine," he stated mater-of-factly.

"But…but…"

"Did you have some kind of concern…_Captain_?"

Benton shook his head miserably.

"Good. Now, you come with me while the others follow my people onto my _other_ ship and do exactly as they tell you. Do not bring any of your possessions; I need not say that this especially refers to weapons of any kind."

"Wait a moment," Dr. Bashir protested as one of his captors moved to take away his tricorder. "I need my medical equipment. I'm a doctor, and some of these people are injured."

Khan turned on him, eyes glittering dangerously. "And why should I care, doctor?"

"That would depend on why you're taking prisoners instead of killing us all."

"I could, in fact, kill you all without much loss."

"Well?"

Khan smiled unexpectedly. "Well, I will allow you to treat the wounded, but my men will take your equipment when you are through. Agreed?"

Julian nodded and took back the tricorder, with a hint of resentment. He began to treat the various wounds caused by the ship's sudden motion earlier, going slower than he really had to. It did make his work more careful and efficient, as well as allow him to keep the devices that much longer. They may not have been able to help him escape, but by this time in his life, they just seemed a part of him, and he was loathe to give them up to his captors.

"What are the names of the crewmembers?" he asked the communications girl as he treated a sprained wrist.

"I'm Alice Freeman, and the others are Egor, Cerita, Drake, and Parkin." In turn she pointed to the Andorian man, a dark-skinned girl, the young man he had talked to before, and another man who might have been in his early twenties and who was glaring around at Khan's people murderously. All of them wore grey jumpsuits that would have been identical had they not been in various states of shabbiness.

"Now, how's that wrist?"

"Well, it was just a sprain."

"I know."

"I mean, it's fine. You didn't even have to bother with it."

"Maybe I didn't." He shrugged and gave a tight smile. "Anyone else?"

The people all shook their heads. Some smiled gratefully for his treatment of their injuries. Seeing this interaction, one of Khan's people snatched away his equipment. He would have tried to hide some of it away, but his tight uniform did not allow for that.

Alice cleared her throat. "Lieutenant, was that… was that who we thought he was?"

Every head swiveled towards Bashir, and the compartment which they had all been packed into became deathly silent. "He does _appear_ to be Khan Noonian Singh."

"But Khan died in 2283."

"I said he appears to be Khan. Appearances can be deceiving."

"I can assure you, doctor, that I am he." Khan's voice from the doorway caused several frightened exclamations from already-worried captives."

"Would you allow me to take a blood sample to confirm that?" he challenged coolly.

"No, I wouldn't trust you to refrain from injecting some kind of poison into me."

"Are you the only Starfleet officer here?"

"It appears so," he quipped.

Khan smirked. "I have questions which you will answer when I require it. For now, I will return the captain to you all."

Benton was firmly escorted in, and it was obvious to everyone what a nervous wreck he was at the moment. Besides that, there were several bright red marks visible on his face, and probably other bruises concealed beneath his jumpsuit.

"He is not badly injured, doctor. He is simply a coward. There is nothing that warrants you getting your instruments back."

Julian frowned, not entirely believing his assessment of the captain's injuries, but left without a choice, he could only check his pulse, the dilation of his pupils, and such things. "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, he required a little persuasion before telling me everything I wanted to know. And that's something that you should keep in mind." A sadistic grin flitted across Khan's wide lips, and he returned to the main part of his ship. This had to be the _S.S. Botany Bay_, unless he obtained access to another ship somehow.

"You really will be fine," Dr. Bashir informed the captain a little while later.

"Really? I don't feel like it," he moaned. His tone of voice suddenly changed. "You should have done something," he snapped. "You're a Federation officer, and we're civilians. Isn't it your duty to protect us?"

"I don't like this any more than you, but I didn't bring a phaser, and there's only one of me against 72 of them. Well, there are 72 if they are who they claim to be."

"Well, my crew can help some. I would myself, but I'm injured."

"Six against 72, then. The odds improve."

"And add their _genetically modified_ intelligence into the equation," Egor added, entering the conversation, which fortunately went unheard by the guards who were stationed outside of their makeshift holding cell.

Julian winced at the tone of loathing in Egor's voice. "Let's just forget that for a moment. Now, they obviously imprisoned us on the _Botany Bay_ instead of your ship so that we wouldn't hold any advantages. However, it would be a good idea to count up our assets."

"If we do something really stupid, it may be beneath them to think of it," Alice joked.

After they laughed over this, Egor shook his head. "I'm afraid they're probably used to living around people like us. And governing people like us."

Julian nodded absently. "People like us…" he whispered.

The crew looked him over curiously. "Are you all right?" Cerita asked kindly.

Before he had a chance to respond to this, the door opened once more, and the man standing there glanced around then pointed at Bashir. "You, Doctor, come with me."


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Crew and passengers are mine. Genetically engineered humans are not nearly.

Chapter Four

"What is your name, Doctor?"

Khan was staring at the _Botany Bay_'s viewscreen, which was an image of the space that they were flying through at the moment. His back was turned to the doctor, so he could not see what kind of expression was on the man's face. His voice was carefully guarded, as appeared to be normal for him.

"Bashir. Julian Bashir." He glanced around the ship. "If this really is the _Botany Bay_, how did you refit her? Tech manuals from the _Enterprise_?"

Khan ignored the question. "What is your purpose on this voyage?"

"What's yours?" he shot back. "You didn't answer the first time I asked."

The command chair swiveled around to reveal an angry, lined face. "I do not answer to others, but I expect them to reply to me."

"Oh, undoubtedly. How many have actually answered you? And how many have you killed?"

"Answer my question, and I will think about answering yours."

Julian smiled faintly. "I am on my way to a medical conference on Meezan IV. That, as the captain has undoubtedly told you, was the transport's first stop."

"He did indeed." The expression on his face could have been interpreted as the beginnings of a staring contest. That was something that Bashir was certain that he would lose, so he did not let it play out. Instead, he took the opportunity to glance around the bridge.

It was not very advanced, since this ship was not originally designed for warp speed- though it obviously was now. That meant that due to the time involved in interplanetary travel, the passengers would spend the majority of their time in suspended animation. Still, it was larger than the transport ship's cockpit. Large enough to accommodate two guards, who could stand off to the side without interfering with normal ship's operations. Clearly, they were both suspicious of Bashir.

"We escaped Ceti Alpha V," Khan said finally, "Only to find ourselves pulled through a spacial anomaly that brought us through time and space… here. And we find ourselves in a world that, like the one of the past, needs us to govern it."

"A world that will reject you," Julian responded softly. "Like the world of the past. More and more non-humans are being accepted by the Federation, but anyone who deviates from normal standards for his or her respective race is not widely accepted."

"We will see about that. In the meantime, I want you to tell me what you make of the anomaly we passed through."

Julian allowed himself to be pulled over to one of the ship's sensors. His quick fingers raced over the keys as he attempted to analyze the phenomenon. There was something about it as he played back the effect and its point of origin…

"No good," he said finally. "I have no idea what caused it."

…It was something that he would want to have a closer look at if it hadn't been a guard standing over his shoulder. It was something that they would not have had the training to notice, but every cadet in Starfleet did.

A movement on his left side made him reflexively bring his hand up to guard his face. That did little to stop the force that sent him flying halfway across the room. The hand did absorb some of the impact, but barely enough so that he was conscious as he lay dazed on the cold floor. An array of bright colours danced around his eyes, and he tried to regain some kind of focus.

His eyes shut, and as he concentrated on determining which way was up, he felt someone grab the front of his shirt and haul him to his feet. "You lie."

"No, I…"

_Thud!_

He plunged to the ground again, and he realized that there was blood trickling from his mouth. It was probably from the impact when he was hurled across the room. Or maybe the second time when he was dropped. How had he landed? A blow like that could have seriously damaged bones, organs… anything.

"I ask you again, Doctor. What caused the anomaly?"

"I'm a doctor, not a scientist." He was aware of how slurred his words sounded. "Besides, why could you possibly need to know if you intend to stay in this time?"

"You irritate me, Doctor. The captain of this vessel capitulated with a few mere slaps from one of my men. What is it about Starfleet arrogance that makes you believe that you are nor required to _do as you're told_?!"

A hard boot caught him in the stomach, which told him that he was on his side. That somewhat oriented him, despite the fact that he was doubling over in pain at that moment. There was a sound like a very soft wind, which told Julian that Khan was about to kick him again.

It was aimed towards his face.

True to his split-second prediction, the doctor was soon sprawled out on the _Botany Bay_'s floor, unconscious.

Khan stood over him, with a twinge of satisfaction. It had been a while since he had hit anyone like that. His men were obedient, and he hadn't needed to for quite some time. Still… the Federation irritated him.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Same old thing. The Star Trek-created characters, ships, etc. do not belong to me.

A/N: Two chapters posted in one day! They'll probably be coming fairly quickly now. Either way, I hope this'll keep you entertained for now.

Chapter Five

"Doctor? Doctor Bashir?"

"Miles?" Who else would have the effrontery to wake him at this time of day?

"No, sir."

The voice was female, and unfamiliar. Not to mention decidedly worried. Was it one of his new nurses?

"Who…"

"Alice Freeman, sir."

"Oh. Right." Still on the _Botany Bay_… "Sorry."

"Do you want to sit up?"

"As my own doctor, I would recommend against it."

"Um…"

"No."

"Right."

"What did those guys want?" Drake asked as Julian Bashir forced his eyes open.

"Wait a moment."

"Yes, sir. Sorry."

"Would you do me a favour and check to see if I have a concussion?"

"They took your tricorder, sir."

"I know. Just check to see if my pupils are dilated. Unless someone has a mirror."

"They probably took those, too." He glared at the crowd of onlookers. "Would you mind not blocking the light?"

A few people squished back as far as they could, which gave Drake enough room to peer at him critically. "You look okay," he pronounced. "Well, no, you look terrible. But your pupils look okay."

"You're not very reassuring. Don't ever become a doctor… Speaking of which, doesn't

anyone in your crew have medical training?"

"I… don't think so."

"No," Egor affirmed. "But usually one or more of the passengers does, so it's a pretty safe bet."

"So, that means it would be fairly useless to ask any of you if I had any serious injuries to my back, spinal cord…"

"Right."

"Right." Gingerly, he moved each of his limbs. They each functioned properly, and he could feel them all. That was something, at least. "Then, in the interests of giving everyone a little more space…"

Bashir rolled onto his side, then pushed himself slowly into a seated position. "What they wanted was an analysis of the spacial anomaly that brought them here."

"What did you tell them?" Captain Benton demanded. "Nothing that will make them hurt us, I hope."

"Whether or not they hurt us is not up to me. But what could I possibly tell them except that I didn't know what it was?"

"Did you?"

"That's not an issue."

"'Not an issue'?" he sputtered. "How can you say that? We're trapped here like you. Don't you trust us?"

"That's not an issue either, especially when we may be monitored."

"The ships detached while you were out," Cerita informed him, cutting into the silence.

"Do you know why?" She shook her head. "And why would they still be headed for Meezan IV?" he mused, more to himself than them. "I noticed that while I was on the bridge. Captain?"

"They didn't tell me anything."

"Hmm."

"What're you thinking?" Alice inquired.

"Well, maybe the question isn't why Meezan IV is their first stop. Why shouldn't it be? If their goal here really is conquest, one planet is as good as another to start with. And Meezan IV will be filled with tourists and doctors from offworld… Of course!"

Julian hated being crowded like this when he was trying to think, but at least he could deal with it. He forced himself to take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Meezan IV will be hosting a Federation medical conference. People from all across the galaxy will be there, and without very much security. If he's looking for hostages… insights into other worlds… this could be helpful to him. Not to mention, some of them may be willing to share their knowledge of astronomy with him."

There was a slight vibration and a _clunk_ as the _Botany Bay_ reattached to the passenger ship. Bashir momentarily considered asking what that ship's name was, but decided that he was too embarrassed, and that the crew would probably bring up its name in conversation anyway.

"If I'm right, it's about to get very crowded in here," Bashir announced to the unfortunate passengers.

There was a general moan, which abruptly ended as the door opened, and the men and women stared up in terror at the genetically engineered man that was standing there. Entering into the hold, he herded several people towards the opening, and kept several others- presumably relations- from following. If the people had been panicked before, this only increased as they were torn apart from loved ones. The fact that this left more space did not help anyone, either.

Even this did not last long, for after a few minutes, another group was sent in. "That makes sense," Julian told Alice and Drake, the two remaining crewmembers, once Khan's people had gone. "They must be shuffling up the groups in two separate cells to prevent escape attempts."

As they nodded, a man's voice cut across the room. "Bashir? Is that you?"

A chill ran down Bashir's spine as the speaker pushed his way through the crowds to stand in front of Julian. "It is indeed, Dr. Zimmerman."


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Add Zimmerman to the list of People That Are Not Mine.

A/N: **Rinne**- Don't worry. There's no way that you can get rid of Bashir. Ever.

**Crossbow**- Thank you for the continuing support. I was kind of worried that I was too predictable, so your comment is a bit of a relief.

Chapter Six

"Right after seeing Khan…" Zimmerman accused in a strangled voice, "Right away, I should have guessed that you were somehow involved."

Lewis Zimmerman had been the one to discover that Julian Bashir himself had been genetically enhanced as a child less than a month ago. It made sense that given normal prejudices, the doctor would think that he was somehow helping Khan. "I understand the implication, doctor. And I can assure you that…"

"You can _assure_ me," Zimmerman laughed. "And what is your word worth?"

"Must we deal with this here, doctor?" It was pretty much a given that Khan or one of his people was listening to every word they said, hoping that they might slip up and tell him something that they needed to know.

"Yes, I think we must. We may as well have it out in the open that you are a liar, a fraud, and a disgrace to the medical profession."

"What's wrong with you?" Alice demanded, frowning at Zimmerman. "He's a good guy."

"Who's this- another ex-girlfriend?" Zimmerman sneered.

"No, she was part of the crew of the ship you flew here in. And if you were at all concerned about Leeta, you'll be pleased to know that she and Rom are perfectly happy, and the wedding plans are moving along splendidly."

Dr. Zimmerman tensed slightly at the memory of being dumped by the Bajoran girl. "I don't know what she sees in that Ferengi… Don't distract me!" He looked around nervously, but their fellow cell-mates obliged him by starting up conversations to pretend they hadn't been listening.

Bashir sighed. "I wasn't distracting you. I was answering your question."

"Excuse me," Alice interrupted. "Don't we have _other_ things to be concerned about? Like escape? If the good doctor will keep his voice down, the others are being loud enough that we might not be heard right now."

"You're very right." Julian smiled gratefully, and she winked back.

"Well, what do we know so far?" Zimmerman asked, shooting Bashir a this-isn't-over-yet look. Fortunately, though, he managed to keep his voice somewhat subdued.

"The short version: Time travel via an unusual energy wave, source unknown, brought Khan and his crew here." Not that they couldn't make a guess, but Dr. Bashir did not feel the need to add that. "He is now attempting to establish his own empire, as he had on Earth during the Eugenics wars. He will most likely begin with the planets represented by the people he brought aboard the _Botany Bay_."

"Speculation, Doctor."

"Do you have something better?"

"Not at the moment," he conceded. "So, about this energy wave that he wants to learn of… What do _we_ know about it."

"Next to nothing. Besides what I've told you, we know that part of it is carried with the ship as it sends it somewhere, and that part precedes it after arrival. In other words- it can hit things that the ship doesn't. That, though, was simply a matter of observation."

"And you're sure that's everything?"

Was there a hint of guilt on his face as he remained silent, or was the doctor just suspicious of him out of hand? Either way, it only took seconds for Zimmerman to snap at him.

"You _do_ know something else." His expression darkened. "And I know exactly why you're so reluctant to tell us."

"Khan and the others could be watching us now," Drake said innocently.

"And did the good _doctor_ suggest this possibility?"

"Well, yes, he did… but it makes sense."

Zimmerman scoffed. "A ship like this doesn't have anything like that. It's a DY-500, isn't it?"

"The _Botany Bay_ was actually a DY-100," Bashir corrected.

"You get my point."

"They've upgraded a lot, probably thanks to diagrams from the _Enterprise_. They now have warp capabilities, for example. Besides, the only thing that keeps them from physically listening to us is the fact that these people are talking, and that is… sporadic at best."

"He's right," Drake volunteered. "I think everyone's actually listening to us, 'cause every once in a while, everyone gets quiet at once."

"It's kinda funny," Alice snickered.

"It is _not_ funny."

She grinned back at Zimmerman. "If you say so, Doctor."

"Well, for now these people _are_ talking and will continue to do so."

"Until someone says something that catches their attention."

Zimmerman's expression became suddenly conniving. "Oh, I see. You're worried that I might say something to embarrass you."

Bashir flushed. "I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about the ship and time travel."

"Were you? Well, why don't you choose between them. One or the other will come out in the open right now."

In other words, if Julian didn't tell him what he wanted to know, Lewis Zimmerman would announce his genetically engineered status to the rest of the people in this room, and it would undoubtedly leak to Khan.

Taking a deep breath, he announced, "For the final time, Doctor, I can not tell you anything about the anomaly which brought the _Botany Bay_ forward in time."

"Then these people might as well know why I don't trust you the tiniest bit. I am free with my knowledge after all."

In other words: Last Chance. Bashir shook his head slowly, and Zimmerman shrugged and raised his voice . "Fine. In that case, it should be known that the reason I do not trust this person because he, like Khan and the others that are keeping us captive, is a genetically engineered _freak_."

"This is one of those 'moments of silence' I was telling you about," Alice clarified.

"Yes, thank you."

Julian was partially distracted by a sudden flurry of activity outside the bulkhead door. He was not distracted enough to ignore the mistrustful and even hateful looks being cast his way from around the room. Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. "One of my theories is about to be proven right, Doctor."

"Is that so?" Zimmerman asked dryly. Julian nodded, and the cell door slid open.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: The characters are still not mine.

A/N: Thanks to **Crossbow** for helping proofread this chapter, and advance thanks for help with others.

Chapter Seven

"Which of your theories were you talking about?" Zimmerman asked, nervously examining the large genetically engineered man who was wading through the passengers.

"The one about us being monitored."

"Oh, that one." He looked distinctly relieved.

"What did you think I meant?"

The other doctor had no time to answer this, for at that moment, the guard grabbed Julian and hauled him to his feet. "Come with me."

"Again? You could at least say 'please,'" Bashir chided.

The guard frowned and shoved him towards the door. After tripping over a sea of legs and bodies, he was caught by two more guards, who propelled him along towards the bridge.

"Or you could shove me out the bulkhead door…" the doctor conceded.

"Such force would not be necessary if you cooperated, Julian."

He bristled slightly at Khan's familiar usage of his first name. Khan chuckled softly at his discomfort and motioned for his men to stand down. "Come, Doctor."

Julian walked after him, seeing no other choice. He was surprised to find the bridge empty when they arrived. "Do you think that I won't try to attack you, or do you think that it wouldn't do any good if I did?"

Khan's tanned face broke into an annoyingly superior smirk. "Both."

"Oh." For once he was at a loss for words. He had no idea why Khan wanted to talk to him; he only knew that it wouldn't be in his best interests. Pride wouldn't let him ask, though, so he stood there and waited.

"On the other hand, who knows exactly what you're capable of?" His sharp brown eyes took in Julian's expression of loathing. "It does not make you inferior, you know."

Seeing that Khan was waiting for a response, Bashir replied, "So my friends have told me."

"And with good reason." At that moment, Khan Singh sounded almost charming. All of his self-discipline and strength was still there, but his eyes were softer, and the tone of his voice contained a small amount of warmth. "Do you want to know why I'm saying this to you?"

"Not particularly, but I have a feeling you will anyway."

"Because I don't want you to hate me blindly. Don't you realize how you're staring at me? You hate me because we are the same, and as you look at me, you don't like what you see."

"I'm not like you," he snapped, "That's a lie."

"Do you really think so? You are a doctor, Julian. Your interest is in saving lives."

"But…"

Khan held up his hand. "Am I right so far?" Bashir nodded. "Good. I, too, have that in mind." He paced across the room to lean over a consol. Then he began to speak reminiscently. "When I lived on Earth during the Eugenics Wars, I was a mighty ruler. From 1992 through 1996, my territory stretched from Asia to the Middle East. It was more than a quarter of the world…"

"I've heard that from the time I was six," Julian answered dryly.

"I offered the world order," he insisted. "Under my rule, there were no massacres and no offensive wars."

"At the same time, you were a dictator. No one man should hold that much power, especially when he takes it by force."

"You should not talk about power that way, considering the power your Federation has over other worlds. As for taking it by force… Come with me, Doctor. There's something that I want to show you."

"Is this it?" Bashir asked as they entered a tiny room. There was a flat cot, a chair, and a desk with a couple books sitting on it.

"Tell me, Julian, can you read Sanskrit?" Khan inquired casually. At the doctor's nod, he smiled. "I hoped so. It will save me the trouble of reading this aloud to you." From a small compartment, previously hidden in a wall, he produced another old-fashioned book, bound in red leather. "This is my journal."

Bashir blinked in surprise. "You keep a journal?"

"Not anymore. I stopped after my wife died. That was a week before we completed the upgrades on our ship, so not much time was lost." A dangerous look crept into his face, and Julian shifted uncomfortably. Seeing this, Khan's expression cleared again. "This contains about twelve hundred years of history, Doctor."

"Fascinating." Despite his sarcasm, Bashir couldn't help being interested. Secrets, after all, were very appealing to him.

"I want you to read it, Julian. Perhaps you will understand me…_us_… a little bit better."

A feeling of déjà vu struck him, and he recalled handing Jadzia Dax his own journals from Medical School for the same reason. The little coincidence was enough to unnerve him, and a cold chill passed down his arm as he took the book. "I'm nothing like you," he pronounced unconvincingly, "but I'll still read it."

"Excellent. Then I'll leave you alone here for a while. These are my private quarters, so no one will bother you, but don't think of trying to escape. I know better than anyone that there's nothing in here that you could use."

Julian nodded, feigning resignation. There was nothing to stop him from trying to escape, but first he would read the journal. Parts were bound to be interesting, at least. Flipping open the cover, he read the first page as Khan exited the room.

"'September 12, 1988…'"


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Same as always. As an afterthought, maybe I should've had one disclaimer at the beginning of the story and let it cover the whole thing. Next time, maybe…

**Teri**- Thanks for reviewing! Since you were wondering, I re-watched "Space Seed" to get some of the details from the story, including the time span of Khan's rule.

Chapter Eight

He had finally finished it- the whole thing. In the time it took for Julian to pour over Khan's journal, the _Botany Bay_ had gotten three more loads of prisoners. In the time it took for Julian to read a page or two, however, he had already begun to sympathize with Khan more than he had before. He did not agree with the tyrant's methods, but undoubtedly, he had meant well.

Julian sighed and shut the book. It was all very confusing, but he knew he could sort it out later. As for right now, his priorities were to get Khan and his people back in their own time period and to free his prisoners.

Straightening his uniform, he rapped lightly on the door. "Would you mind bringing Khan here?" he asked the guards who were likely standing outside. The quick footsteps that followed assured him that Khan Singh was being fetched, so he sat back down and waited.

"Tell me," the elder man said as he entered, "whether you are still plagued by feelings of inferiority."

Bashir opened his mouth to deny feeling inferior at all, then stopped himself, realizing the futility of it all. "That's nothing that a book can change. I actually had a question of my own."

"Well, that is nothing unusual."

Taking that for encouragement, Julian cleared his throat. "When you wrote this, you seemed genuinely concerned for other people… up to a point." Khan nodded. "Have your ideals changed at all?"

"No. You may be surprised, but reading back on my earlier thoughts, I found that I did not disagree with a single word."

"Well, according to what you wrote here, most of your empire was acquired through negotiations. You convinced authorities from these countries that you could protect them better than any other ruler. It says nothing about taking hostages to barter with or making military targets of anything."

A hint of hesitation entered Khan's eyes. "That is true enough."

"But not entirely true?"

"It _was_ entirely true," he insisted. "I wanted a kingdom, and they wanted a king."

"It seems to me that you were given a new kingdom in the form of Ceti Alpha V."

"It was a savage world."

"It wasn't unlivable. Besides, you left it before you could claim it entirely, which would have forced you to overextend yourself. That was a large problem for the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century, as you may recall."

Khan Singh narrowed his eyes at Bashir and turned away, which Julian was getting used to by now. Obviously, he didn't want the doctor to know what he was thinking. Finally he laughed grimly. "You may not be a tactician, Julian, but you are correct in this case. It is… _possible_ that I let my thirst for escape override my common sense. Unfortunately, that is a mistake that was made many, many years ago, though it seems like mere days."

"Would you go back if you could?"

Khan slowly turned to face him again. "Yes, I would," he admitted. There was something… _human_ in his voice at that moment. That, perhaps, was more shocking for Bashir than meeting him in the first place. It made Khan less of a distant historical figure who was responsible for all discrimination against the genetically engineered.

These thoughts worked themselves around in Julian's brain, and he forced himself to speak again. "I could help you do that," he offered.

A genuine smile appeared on Khan's face. "Then come with me to the bridge." He tilted his head. "You'll want me to leave the prisoners behind, I suppose."

Julian nodded and accompanied the other man. "Absolutely. They are citizens of the Federation, and it's my duty to help them get home as quickly as possible."

"Quickly? Doctor, if you can travel through time, why should that word have any meaning?"

"Well, time is all relative, I suppose, but the same amount of time has passed for, say, your bodily functions. You age at the same rate… Was that a joke?"

Instead of answering, Khan pushed Julian into one of the bridge's chairs. "Set a course for Meezan IV," he ordered the helmsman. "We have some passengers to drop off. And be quick about it!"

Julian could only shake his head and give a disapproving frown.


	9. Epilogue

Disclaimer: The people, places, and things are not mine, with a few already-mentioned exceptions.

Epilogue

"You struck a deal with him?" Zimmerman demanded incredulously.

"What are you upset about? You're back where on Meezan IV, he's off to the twenty-third century where he belongs, and I'm going home to DS9 where _I_ belong."

"You had no right to tell him everything that you did! Time travel is a carefully guarded secret."

Bashir sniffed derisively. "It seems like every crew in the Fleet has traveled back in time at least once. It's not _that_ much of a secret. Besides, the _Botany Bay_'s engines will be almost completely fried once they complete the time loop around the Mutaran sun. They'll make a crash landing back on Ceti Alpha V, with no additional resources to repair the damage. Then they'll wait there for a very long time as its orbit shifts it into a desert, and the crew of the _USS Reliant_ will find them as they are supposed to."

"So, what was that 'anomaly' thing?" Alice Freeman asked, approaching the bickering duo.

"Oh, right before the beam hit the _Botany Bay_, there was a slight ripple in space, that looked suspiciously like a cloaked Klingon ship about to fire. Or, at least, an old-style ship. It was probably an experimental weapon of theirs; there used to be a research facility in the area, but it was recently destroyed by the Dominion, so we won't ever be able to say for sure."

A descending Runabout caught his attention. "If that's all, I think my ride has arrived. Garak!" He acknowledged the pilot with some surprise. "Why are _you_ here?"

"And this is the thanks I get for coming to rescue you?" He sighed regretfully then examined Bashir. "You know, I think you need to see a doctor."

"Not funny." He paused. "Do I really look that bad?"

"Worse."

"Okay, let's just get on the shuttle and go back to the station."

"The shuttle!" Alice suddenly exclaimed. "Khan still has ours!"

"He does?" A number of horrible implications started to sink in until he saw Alice grin at him.

"Just kidding, Doctor. I don't believe you were that gullible."

"Believe it," Garak offered sympathetically.

Putting a hand on the Cardassian's arm, Julian pushed him back into the Runabout. "Be good. I found a nice new enclosed space that I can stick you in when you get out of hand."

"That might sound somewhat threatening if I knew that you'd actually do it. But you won't." Garak suddenly switched topics and assumed the tone of a cheerful attendant. "Would you like me to carry anything for you, Doctor?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Just let me stay be alone for a while."

"Anything to help," he replied cheerily, starting the preflight.

Julian, meanwhile, dropped his travel bag onto the floor and removed a red leather-bound book filled with Sanskrit characters.

"_I can't accept this," Julian had said at first, staring resolutely into Khan's eyes._

"_You say that because you do not want to accept our similarities. At least some of these words rang true with you and your own life, I am quite sure. Even if you can not accept that you are superior by nature, read this to take comfort in the fact that you are not _inferior_ either. I'm sure that's hard to remember in your Federation."_

"_It has been," he admitted. "You're probably right about that one, but… it's something that'll take time to sink in."_

"_You'll have all the time you need, I'm sure, Julian."_

_With that last word, Dr. Julian Bashir was ushered out of the _Botany Bay_ and back into the real world, a world which would take some re-adjusting to. Despite what Khan had said, it might have taken a lifetime to grow comfortable with…_

"Are you done sulking?" Garak teased. "We're about halfway to the station, and I was wondering if you'd tell me about the experience. I heard most of it by intercepting communications from Meezan IV to Starfleet headquarters."

"There's really nothing to say. They came, they saw, they went back home to conquer."

"Well, isn't that dull?"

Julian nodded unenthusiastically.

"But you must have more to say than that," his friend pressed. "From what I heard, Khan and his boys were the _original_ genetically enhanced crew… But I suppose you knew that. Tell me, did you have anything in common with them?" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I can see that's a bad question."

Julian sighed. "No… It's a fine question. I just don't have a good answer for you. Sometime I hope to figure it out. But until then… I'll just say that he and I are a little too close for comfort."

"Ah. Well, I won't be worried until you start to take over the galaxy… If you'll excuse me, I have a ship to run."

Once the Cardassian had disappeared again, Julian flipped open the book and idly re-read the entry dated September 12, 1988. It was the first entry, in which a very young Khan Noonian Singh had poured out his happiest moments to date as well as his aspirations and dreams.

One sentence, though, appeared more prominently than the rest to Bashir. Near the bottom of the second page, Khan had been listing various ways he was considering to utilize his talents. A wry smile crept onto Julian's features as he flipped the book shut and softly quoted, "'Perhaps I should become a doctor…'"


End file.
